Objectives

• Students will be able to describe what a hard disk drive (HDD) is and identify its key characteristics, including physical size, capacity, speed, internal technologies, and interface standards.

Academic Vocabulary

1. Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

2. Capacity

3. Speed

4. Technologies

5. Interface Standards

6. SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment)

7. IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)

8. RPM (Revolutions Per Minute)

9. SSD (Solid State Drive)

​Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

a hard disk drive (HDD) is a primary storage device used to store and retrieve digital information. Unlike volatile memory (RAM), which loses its data when the computer is powered off, HDDs retain data even when the computer is turned off.

Key Characteristics

• Physical Size: HDDs come in various form factors such as 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch, which refers to the diameter of the drive.

• Capacity: The amount of data that an HDD can store, typically measured in gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB).

• Speed: The rotational speed of the disk, measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). Higher RPM generally means faster data access.

• Technologies: Mention internal technologies used in HDDs such as magnetic recording and read/write heads.

• Interface Standards: Explain common interface standards like SATA and IDE, which determine how the HDD connects to the motherboard.